Sunday, 31 December 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, I've been thinking about the things that I have been the most thankful for this year so I wanted to take a moment and share a few things I'm grateful for! It's a different type of post for me but I wanted to share a more personal post to end the year.

I'm thankful for...

Family: We've been blessed with two (adorable) kiddos. As Micah has gotten older, we've been able to add new traditions each year. Not only at Christmas, but-year round. There's something so special when new traditions grow organically from your own family dynamics. I have loved creating new memories with him and look forward to creating more with Alessia as well. This year I also became an aunt for the first time as my brother and my sister-in-law welcomed their first son. We couldn't be more in love with baby C.

Childhood: I purposely wanted to give this one its own space on my list. The reason for that is because it's so important to me. We strive to be parents that give their kids a full childhood. One that really milks all they can get out of it! My hopes are to give them a childhood that they'll cherish forever. One that lets them explore, create, dream; one that celebrates them for who they are and who they are becoming each day. I want them to play in the rain, laugh until it hurts, splash in muddy puddles, climb the tree, have dessert before dinner once in a while and get the most of out being a kid as they can because I promise you one thing, it goes by fast. And all while Marco and I are doing this for them...we end up with the greatest blessing of all; watching their childhood unfold.

Friends: I began blogging this past February as a means of having a creative outlet. I never would've imagined that 10 months in, I would have met such cool, supportive, fun people! Thank you for all of your DM's, your likes and comments. I had no idea that Instagram was such an amazing community. I have loved getting to know you guys, getting to know the person behind the posts and I look forward to meeting more of you in 2018. It's because of you guys that I get to do what I love and for that, thank you!

Health: With so many things going on, sometimes we take health for granted. This year, I want to devote more time to self care. Sometimes I have so much going on with the kiddos, work, blogging, and all that makes up life that I end up putting myself last. I'm the worst person at taking time for myself (I've been wanting to book a massage...it's been 4 years since I keep letting it slide "for next week." I told you, I'm the WORST!) but I know how important it is! This year I want to get back to doing pilates. I know that it may not happen everyday but I want to commit to at least 20 minutes each day. I know that if I take a little bit of time for myself each day, it will not only be good for my health but it will make me a better mother, wife, daughter and friend. You can only give of what you have so it's important that we take time for ourselves as well.

Work: One of my biggest blessings to date has been my job. I work as a consultant at a children's mental health agency in Toronto. I began with them with a contract position in 2008 and went on full time in 2012. I absolutely adore the children I work with, the team of consultants I have the opportunity of working alongside each day and the management team. I have learned so much in this role, not only about children development and mental health but also about myself. I'm thankful for the families that allow me to come in and work with their children on a daily basis. It's a role in which I am challenged each day and although it is at times emotionally draining, it is also incredibly fulfilling.

Marco: Most of all, I'm thankful for my husband, my partner in all of this. He's the one that encourages me when I want to quit or when things get too hectic. He's my ride or die and my best friend. I couldn't do all this without his support and unconditional love. I'm so blessed to have you by my side though all of this! (And thank you for all of the pictures babe!)

2017 has been great to us and I can't wait to see what the new year holds! Happy New Years, friends!!

Thursday, 28 December 2017

With all of the Christmas music playing everywhere, the twinkle lights and eggnog lattes, I still have all of the Christmas feels. With the cold weather, I've been wearing all of my wool coats and this white one from Zara has been on heavy rotation this December!

Most of the time, we tend to wear dark colours in the winter time here in Canada. We are constantly having to care for our clothes from snow, salt, sleet, slush and the list goes on and on. There's something so refreshing about wearing light colours in the Winter though so I try to wear light colours as much as possible to break away from my usual go-tos. Here's one of my favourite looks so far.

Although my style is pretty casual most of the time, I've been wearing OTK boots for date nights, holiday parties or meeting up with friends after work. If you've been thinking about getting a pair of OTK boots, I have reviewed the Stuart Weitzman highland boots here. They're an investment but they're versatile and can be dressed up or down throughout the Fall/Winter months.

This grey sweater is lightweight but extremely warm. Like I mentioned on my IG post, it's so warm and soft that I had to go back and get the same one in black. Turtleneck sweaters are a perfect classic staple for colder months. I promise you, they'll never go out of style! This one has braided detailing on the sleeves and neck, adding texture to my all-neutral look.

This year, I had to add a pompom hat. I searched for about a month for the perfect beanie because some of them end up being too big and some of stretch (not a cute look!). I finally found the shade I had been looking for and it's the softest material. This one is from Roots and is under $50! I always get tons of questions about it so I'm glad I waited it out until I found exactly what I had been looking for! Not only is it currently my favourite beanie, but it's also a Canadian brand! I have listed all of the details below.

Friday, 22 December 2017

With just three days until Christmas, most of us are running around, doing the final preps for the holidays. My family is from Argentina so we celebrate on the 24th of December. We start with appetizers and charcuterie early on in evening and move into our late dinner around 10ish. We ring in Christmas (much like we all do NYE) at midnight. It's not until after midnight, after we have all hugged and wished each other a merry Christmas, that we begin opening gifts. It's a long night but there's nothing quite like hanging on to traditions from back home. The following day, we wake up (slow) and have a huge family brunch. From there, the eating continues on and on for the rest of the day.

With all of the running around with gifts and decorations, most of us are probably still wondering what we'll be wearing during the holiday festivities. It's easy to fall back on black dresses during the holidays because they are such a classic staple but I wanted a softer look this year. Because I've always wanted to wear a tulle skirt, I thought that maybe Christmas was the time! I wouldn't usually wear tulle but if you can't be a little extra with your looks during the holidays, when can you be?! I'm pretty minimal and casual when it comes to fashion and beauty so I thought this look gave me the balance I was looking for.

This soft tulle skirt falls just below the knee and would look stunning with strappy sandals. I chose this beautiful black wool coat with a faux fur collar to dial up the glam a bit. I paired the tulle skirt with a thin, black fine wool turtleneck. I fell for the scalloped detailing; it's on both the cuffs and the neck. Because it's a thin sweater, it easily tucks into skirts and pants without it bunching. This turtleneck has been one of my favourite purchases of the season!

Do you have your holiday looks ready?

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, take the time to be present and enjoy each moment with your loved ones! Merry Christmas!!

Sunday, 10 December 2017

Like most people, I LOVE Christmas. There's something so magical and romantic about the twinkle lights everywhere! I was talking to a friend the other day and she was asking me for some cute date ideas for Christmas. I have wanted to do a date night blog post for months now because Toronto is filled with amazing places but this got me thinking about holiday inspired date nights! So here we go. I have put together a list of some of my favourite date nights that are made for cozying, cuddling and getting in that holiday spirit. Although I have put together a list of Toronto and other surrounding places, if you don't live in the area, you could definitely get inspo from this list and apply it in your city!

Happy cuddling!

Toronto Christmas Market

The Christmas Market in the distillery has everything you could possibly want during the Christmas season. Amazing food, delicious desserts, warm brews, cobblestone walkways, music and lights. There are also about a million Insta-worthy spots for pics of both of you.

Niagara-on-the-Lake

If you want to get out of the city but don't want to go too far, head towards Niagara-on-the-lake. Stay at cute little bed and breakfasts, take a carriage ride through downtown core or visit one of the many wineries for a Winter tour.

Christmas Tree Farm

Visit a local Christmas tree farm and choose your own tree. Make a day out of it! Get the tree, some hot cocoa, then get it home to decorate. I promise you, you'll laugh all day together. Just getting the tree on top of the car to get home is funny enough.

Jean from extrapetite.com

Evergreen's Winter Village

If you're still longing for more Christmas markets, grab your skates and head over the Evergreen's and enjoy some skating, the Street Food Market, shop for local gifts or visit the onsite Farmer's Market. Evergreen's Winter Village is free of charge and runs until December 31st.

Ice Skating in Harbourfront Centre or Nathan Phillips Square

If you're a couple that loves to brave the cold, this wintery date is perfect. Both locations offer amazing backdrops. In Nathan's Phillips Square, you're in the heart of Toronto. The Toronto sign also gives you beautiful pictures at night.

If you're looking for a lake view, head over to Harbourfront Centre. They have DJ Skate Nights on Saturdays starting at 8pm with different DJ's headlining each week.

Bloor-Yorkville

My husband and I always love turning our Christmas shopping into date-nights. It keeps the act of checking off the Christmas list from feeling like a task. We walk around the city for hours, stop at little cafes on the way to warm up and hopefully, get most of our presents checked off the list. One of our favourite spots for our yearly Christmas (present) date-night is the Bloor-Yorkville Village. You can get a pizza where Queen Bey ate at Trattoria Nervosa, get drinks at Hemingway's and stop to see the twinkle lights at the Village of Yorkville Park. Also, you may or may not run into one of the cast members of the Toronto housewives.

Escaping citylife for a weekend in Muskoka

If you're looking for a quick getaway but want to feel like you're in a whole other world, I definitely recommend renting out your own cozy cabin for a weekend in Muskoka. Just think; fireplace, hot chocolate, outdoor hot tubs, all of the serenity you could possibly want and waking up to this amazing view in the morning. What else could you ask for?

Sunday, 3 December 2017

I have a fashion wish list that I’ve been keeping for a couple of years now and last month, I purchased something that had been on my list for over a year! I made some closet space for a pair of Stuart Weitzman suede boots. You’ve probably seen them all over Instagram and on your fave celebrities and there’s a reason for why you have seen them all over. They really are that good. I’ll go over a few of the points that sold me over on these boots as they really are an investment. I read a lot of information and reviews on them before I purchased them. I knew I wanted a pair for Fall so of course, being that I’m such a sucker for neutrals, I went with the grey. Surprisingly enough though, I purchased the highlands rather than the lowlands (I usually prefer flats to heels). I had currently purchased a pair of flat grey OTK boots so I figured that for the SW pair, I’d try the heels! Here’s what I have learned about them in the past month.

Quality

Honestly, if you have been looking to invest in a great pair of boots, these boots are totally worth it. I would definltey recommend going with a pair of Stuart Weitzman. Whether you are into a heel or would prefer a flat boot, the quality in amazing. They are the most comfortable boots I have worn and they are so warm, that they'll keep your legs warm on those chilly, Fall days. One of my favourite things about them was how supple and soft the suede is. Trust me, your legs will love them!

One of the selling factors for me was the fact that they are also petite friendly. I highly recommend these boots for petites. Because of the stretch, they conform to your leg, decreasing that gap between your leg and the boot at the calf. They also have a tie at the back so you can tie it up to avoid them sliding down as you walk. I haven’t had any issues with mine and they have stayed put all day long!

Comfort

I find it hard to find heels that are comfortable enough to be worn all day long but these boots are amazingly comfortable. The thicker blocked heel helps the comfort level. If you are trying to decide between the high heel version or the flat boots, just try to think of what you’d get more use out of. I definitely would get more use from the flat boots, but like I mentioned, I had just recently purchased a pair so I went with the heel version. A lot of petites have a hard time finding great boots that actually fit properly and these are high quality pair that I definitely recommend.

Care

Like all things that are worth the investment, care is a major part of the package. Caring for these boots will take a little more effort than your Hunters, but you definitely want to make sure that you are covering all your bases to decrease the chances of something happening to the suede.

1. Spray them with a stain repellent prior to wearing them. You don’t want to be wearing these suede babies in the snow or rain so to my fellow Canadians, these boots will probably only make an appearance during the fall months and be tucked in for winter months, far away from snow and slush.

2. Brushing: The boots come with a suede block that can be used to brush the suede. Also brush the boots after spraying the boots with the stain repellent in order to help the boots return to their original appearance. If you happen to get a little dirt on them, use the brush to gently brush off any dirt.

3. Storage: I like to keep my shoes in their original boxes but I know others buy plastic containers for each pair. As long as you are putting them back in their own box so they aren't being crushed with other pairs of shoes or boots, they should be okay. I keep mine lying horizontally in their box. Some people choose to use boot inserts in them while in storage to help keep them in their original shape. The problem with boot shapers is that if they are too big, you risk stretching the leather out.

What suede boots are you guys currently wearing? The next SW boot on my list? The 5050!

Thursday, 16 November 2017

I've always loved planning and organizing events and birthdays but it wasn't until we had our first son, Micah, that I realized how much detail I was willing to pour into each celebration I planned for him. For each birthday, I always started with a theme. I've always loved doing more original themes rather than the more popular ones but I quickly learned that usually meant I'd have to end up making more of my own decor. Let me preface this by saying that I do not like crafts, I'm not a DIYer and I've never been into any kind of creative hobby (and I'm still not). Weird right? However, much like with everything else in motherhood, I learned something about myself when we had Micah. I was willing to go the distance to make birthdays magical for him, even if it meant I'd have to spend hours with a hot glue gun, trying to figure it all out! Every year, I made him a piñata from scratch and now that he's four, to him, if you haven't had a pinata, you haven't fully celebrated your birthday! I love that he remembers his second and third birthday parties and often recalls and comments on them. That just makes me want to continue making their birthdays special because I can see how much he loves and enjoys his parties.

ALESSIA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

Planning Alessia's first birthday was so bittersweet. On one hand, your baby is turning one and you're left wondering where the infant went! It feels like we had just brought her home from the hospital on that cool, Fall evening. On the other hand, you have experienced the beautiful infant turn into a curious, outgoing little person full of charisma and personality!

For Alessia’s first birthday, I had a theme in mind and began by looking at photos on Pinterest, IG and websites for design ideas I liked. For this birthday, I worked with some amazing vendors and I want to share some of them with you because their work is absolutely amazing.

DECOR

I have never been a fan of pink. That’s not to say that I’m against ALL pinks, just not that bright, bubble gum pink. I’m actually quite fond of pale pinks, millennial pink, blush and rose gold. For Alessia’s first birthday party, I chose a variety of soft pinks, peach and used gold as an accent colour. I knew I wanted her name to be the focal point of the desserts table so I reached out to Andrea from Little Black Letter Company. I fell in love with her work from the moment I saw her it on her Etsy shop. I contacted her and explained what I had envisioned and watched as she took that and made a beautiful piece of art that she’ll be able to cherish for years to come. Andrea’s work is not only immaculate, but also oh so gorgeous! Andrea made a wood design carving of Alessia’s name in a calligraphy font and painted it rose gold. I’m so in love with this and I wasn't the only one!! At the party, I had tons of questions about where I had purchased it - her work definitely stood out among the rest of the decor. Just to let you guys know, I have saw her designs for the upcoming holiday season and seriously guys, it’s stunning. She has wrapping paper and hand painted ornaments. You can find Andrea’s amazing work here. The sign we got for Alessia’s birthday will be going up in her room as part of her décor and to me and my mama’s heart, it will always be a sweet reminder of her very first birthday.

FOOD

Because we had a garden party, I wanted to make sure that the food we served was not only delicious, but fresh. I kept the menu simple because of the hot, July-like weather we were having in September. I’ve never received so many compliments on burgers before as we received during this party and that’s because we used TruLocal. They offer a meat subscription which sends your order directly to your front door. I love that their products are locally sourced, hormone free and antibiotic free. I didn’t have to worry about going out to the grocery store the day of in order to get the freshest, juiciest burgers. We also barbecued TruLocal's bacon for the burgers. Hands down, TruLocal is one of the best subscription box services I have ever come across!

DESSERTS

Of course I had to have a desserts table and what is a desserts table without macarons?! I have tasted many macarons before in the GTA but when it came to my little one's first birthday, I had to get the best and that is Macaronz. I selected macarons (Peaches & Cream and Strawberry) that would go well with the decor and Zanda from Macaronz, took care of the rest! What we ended up with were mouthwatering macarons that melted in your mouth. Needless to say, they disappeared...quickly. They sure were a crowd pleaser! Macaronz has recently expanded and are now offering High Tea Service. You can get all of the details here.

INVITES

For the past four years, each time my husband and I have a party to plan within our little family, we always get our invites from Tim Martinez. Not only is he talented and does graphics and designs for the Toronto Raptors and TSN, he also designs the best invites. Please check out his amazing website and portfolio because whatever type of design that you may need, whether it be for a logo, video, website, graphics or invites he's the guy. I promise you that he's the nicest guy that you'll ever deal with and delivers high quality work. You just have to hurry up and book him because he's in BIG demand! You can check out his work here or you can follow him on Instagram @letsgoraptors.

CAKE + SMASH CAKE

And finally, what is a birthday, without cake? And much more importantly, what is a first birthday without a SMASH cake? When it came to dreaming up what I wanted for my little babe's birthday, I knew I wanted something rustic, minimal and beautiful. When talking to my sister Christelle about Alessia's birthday plans, she told me she'd love to make the cakes for her. Christelle, has always loved baking but I was amazed at how much love and dedication she poured into these cakes. Not only did they look gorgeous, they were delicious. Alessia was the sweetest with her smash cake and had no idea what she had to do with the cake that was put before her. When she finally understood she could put her finger in it, she never stopped licking her hand :) When Christelle isn't baking up a storm, she's travelling the world and taking beautiful pictures. You can check out Christelle's amazing travel blog here or follow her on Instagram (@lalalovelysquares). It's seriously swoon-worthy!!

It was definitely a birthday to remember. It was full of love, laughter, family and friends and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect and memorable birthday for her. Thank you to all who made it so special!